Electric traffic-indicator.



T wsmswfmw G. Smm. E "c` mc 'www .women SAPPUCATION EILED, APR. 2l.1917.

Patented Nov. 19, i918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l' T. W. CRISI/IAN I A. G. BIIEHI'VI.

ELECTRIC TRAFFIC INDICATOR. APPLICA-non FILED APnLzz. |911.

I 2385052l Patented NOVI I9, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3A THOMAS 'W'. CRISMA'N !ll) ALEXANDER G. BREHM, OFHASTINGS, NEBRASKA."

ELECTRIC TRAFFIC-INDICTL Hoerentest-.lon of? Estant;

Application filed April 27, 1917. Serial No. fll.

To all 107mm t may concern: l

Be it known that We, Timmins "W, Cineman and ALEXANDER Gr. Banner,citizens ofthe United Stat-es, residing at Hastings, 1in the county ofAdams and State ot Nebraska, hare invented certain new and usefullmprovenients in Electric Traffic-indicators, of which the following isa specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in traiiicindicators for vehicles and our primary object4 resides in the provision.of an electrically operated tratiic or direction indicator which maybecontrolled by a switch located upon the switch or instrument board ofa motor Vehicle to indicate to others an intent upon the part ot thedriver to proceed directly ahead or to turn to the right or left, as thecase may be.

ln this connection, another object which we have in View is theconstruction of an indicator by which the signal is given both by signallights and by a movable indicat ing member, such as an arrow which maybe swung to point in the direction of intended travel. `With such anindicator, the movable arrow or other indicating member may be utilizedas the sole signal by daylight While the lights will be largely dependedupon as the signaling means at night.

One of the objects of our invention resides in the provision of a signalmechanism inclosing casing adapted to he mounted at any suitacle pointupon the vehicle and having three spaced bullls eyes, one to be directedtoward the front and the others toward either side, and a revolubleshutter Within the casing operating in conjunction with a light locatedWithin the casing: in such a manner that the rays oi light will be permitted to pass through one or the other of the bulls eyes, according tothe signal .to be given.

ln this connectionH one of the primary objects of our invention consistsin providing a novel means forselectively rotating the shutter, togetherwith the direction indicating arrow which vissnpported by the shuttermechanism, to bring the parts into position to give the desired signal.

Another object which We have in View is to accomplish this movement. otthe shutter by means of `eleotro-magnets and a latchI mechanism 1n sucha manner that the mage trollingthe magnetsso that the signal may beoperated by means of a switch conveniently disposed npon the instrumentboard or other like part oi the vehicle.

With these and other objects1 inw/ien?, our invention will be more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying'drawings, and thenspecilically pointed out in the claims which are'attachcd to and form apart of this application.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a motor vehicle, showing oursignal device ap'- plied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken through the casing ofthesignal device, showing the mechanism in plan; V

Fig. 3 is a perspective vieri' of the signal device with the casingremoved;

Fig. fi is a-fragmentary perspectiye Viewy I showing' the means ofsupplying current to the main controlling magnet;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the switch, the supporting' base oi theswitch being removed;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the lin'e 6--6 ot' Fig. looking in vthedirection ot thearrows;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the movable Contact members ot theswitch and their actuating mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View or the Wiring system employed.

The mechanism proper of our improved trafiic indicator is supported upona circular base l0 ot any suitable non-conducting material and isinclosed in a cylindrical casing' ll closed at its upper end and securedto tle base by a plurality of brackets l2. ,Prete/12 ably,y the upperperipheral edge of the base The casing is preferably formed oi2 some iscut-away to provide a seat i3 for the lower L l Secured therein by emagnet is supported by extends adelly therefrom. pertem l? of the frame16 Gary diected ally extenng 407 l and 4t2 which are con- Lepese Whespec'; to the shaft ring turning of the shaft 31, the of he pole of theeleeto-mag' :ssvey pass the nne` "nel"a the nm'gnets 40, 41 left i0 esshown, is locaef and rif/3 and these met when *the magnet e permitpassage of Hgh@ "E ont buls eye. @n he other nmgne 32 @lines with t'herew Wi point to the left eye w be exposed, Whe

lines with the magnet 1e New Wl pom@ 43 'is seue te' be n 19 of the and11 which supports e vel"- L eeeifomagne 45. fm elecas its poe ieeeextended ease endend a s'u @Let 3 "has a reduced nag-"ed th'ough' thepole he Wvdnwe of the meg- '9 er e' the? suitable device A againstdispaeeme'' l. a e ai; i1 e same time leaves @i Whaling; free 'formining o fue pole piece 4U? te form zu?! ermau'e nd e hece spying 50 *oe "fhe paie piece Wich the milj' hod it away from the mag- 'e end of hepoe piece ma, 4b, #land 22, which may" v magnets, one' of 'the oslon 'tobe engaged by the Winding of the elecoeught space'contact on the Shaf 3ian@ 1n- MNB Lessons we will describe a compound switch struc` ture l 'a'which the Various circuits may he d. This switch structure is hest AnFigs. 5 to 'i' .of the dran/'ings and a main switch plate 59 and G0 hotholf suitable non-conducting' niasuch as liber, which are secured in edrelation by means oi' holts nl passed Jongh spacer sleeves 62. pluralityet screws are passed through a spacer strip et insulating= materialsecured to the face of the switch plate 59 along ,one edge and areprovided with nuts 65 to forni linding posts. These binding/"postssecure iced contacts 56, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72, the ends or' -whichproject in spaced relation l the lower face o' the plate 59. ln lile`manner, a plurality of screws T3 )ass downwardly through the switchplate and carrying nuts 74 provide binding posts i also serve to secureresilient contact i s 75, i6, 77, 78, 79, 80 and F51, Which cooperate'with the contacts previously named i which extend transversely acrossthe "wer :face of the switch plate' 59, being norlally held out etengagement with the coniacts through their own resiliency. A push utton82 is mounted for movement through whe switch plate 59 and at its lowerend has teral. projections S3 which normally seat i recess formed in thelower face of the ilate 59 and which everlie the. spring contacts and 76so that depression of the push button 82 will more both the contact gips7 and 76 into engagement with their "pective contacts 6G and G7. A pushbutor' like 'type is correspondingly disposed to sin'lultaneously swingthe contact strips I?? and T8 into engagement with their "respectivecontacts 63 and G9 and a push is disposed to simultaneously ig thecontact strips 79 and 80 into engeinent with their contacts T0 and 71,re-

sion of any push hutten, the contact strip will he swung into engagementwith the A:oirtact T2. Binding posts 91 and 92 are secured te the switchplate at one end for cnnnection `with the main current supply linges,will loe later explained.

' or" this magnet to the Wire 90.

actively. Bearing brackets 86, inounted This shaft also carries afurther in installing our signal, the signal mechanism proper is mounteduponl the top or' the radiator or upon one et the mud guards of thevehicle, as shown in Fig. 1, and the Wires oi' its controlling circuitsare passed through an armored conduit lo the switch mechanism which islocated upon the instrument or switch board of the vehicle, as shown at93 in Fig. 1. inasmuch as the casing; ,or the signal mechanism 'is mademoisture and dust proof, it will therefore be clear that all injury toany parts or any deterioration through use will be avoided.

ln the preferred torni. et Wiring system, wires 0l lead from theterminals of the electro-nnignet .l0 to the contacts 68 and 69, Wires 05similarly lead from the terminals of the electro-magnet fll to thecontacts 70 and 71, and wires 06 lead from the terminals of theelectro-magnet@ to the contacts 66 and 5T. A wire'Qi" leads from one ofthe binding,- posts 5S through which the circuit of the electro-magnet37 is :termed to the contact 72 and a Wire 98 leads 'from the otherbinding post 5S to one terminal of the electro-magnet 40. Wire 99 leadsfrom the other terminal of this magnet 46 to the contact strip T5 andhranch Wires 100 lead `from the Wire 90 to the contact strips 77 andTil. A Wire 101 leads from the wire 97 to one terminal of theelectro-magnet and a Wire 102 leads from the other terminal A Wire 103leads from the binding' post 91 to the contact strip 8l and a wire 104ileads from the binding post 92 to the contact strip 76. Branch Wires 105lead from this Wire 104 to the contact strips i8 and 80. Current may besupplied from any suitable source of electrical energy, such asa battery106, through line wires 107 and 108 leading to the bindingl posts 91 and92. Wires 109 and 1l0`lead from the elec-tric light 29 to any suitable'portions of the Wires 106 and 10i' or directly to the battery terminalsas most convenient and a manually operable switch .11 is interposed inone o'l" these Wires so that the light circuit may be opened and closedwill.

'in describing' the operation of our inf proved traliic indicator, Wewill assume that the indicator is in the condition shown in Fig. 1 'anddiagraminatically in Fig. 8, which is the normal position it will occupywhen the vehicle is traveling straight, ahead. The light 29 may or maynot be energized, ac cording to Whether it is light enough to see thedirection arrow or not, the energizing' ot this li ght being ccnl rolledby the switch 111. No current is flowing through any of the magnets andthe signal mechanism is held in position by the engagement of the latchlinger 51 in the central notch of the keeper lf the tlriif'cr of thevehicle Wishes to turn to the right, lie will momentarily deeye, adirection indicating member carried by the. shaft exteriorly oi thecasing, au arm haring' a depending projection, a second .shaft mountedfor turningmovement Within the easing, an arm carried by the secondshat't and formed with a slot to receive the projection of the firstarm, and electrical means for turning the second shaft through variouspredetermined angles in either direction and for locking it in selectedposition.

5. In a direction signal, a casing, a signal shaft journaled in thecasing, a direction signaling device mounted upon the shaft, means foradjustably turning the shaft, and means for locking the shaft inadjusted posiu tion, the said last mentioned means including a radialkeeper operatively connected with the shaft and mounted to swing'simultaneously with the turning of the shaft, a latch pivoted at a pointintermediate of its ends in a plane beneath the keeper and haV- ing itsouter end directed upwardly t0 cooperate, therewith, yieldable meansengaging the inner end of the latch for constantly urging it to engagethe keeper, and means for releasing said latch.

6. In a direction signal, a casing, a signal shaft journaled in thecasing, a direction signaling device mounted upon the shaft, means foradjustably turning the shaft, and means for locking the shaft inadjusted position, said last mentioned means including a keeper, anelectromagnet, and a second electromagnet having its pole piece pirotedat a point intermediate of the ends thereof to provide a latch adaptedto cooperate with the said keeper, the Winding of the second magnetbeing disposed upon the inner extremity of said pole piece whereby toform a weight thereon gravitating to hold the latch in, engagement withthe keeper.

In testimony whereof We aix our signatures.

THOMAS W. CRISMAN. .s.] ALEXANDER G. BREHM. [L s.l

